The Secret Policeman's Ball benefit series started 38 years ago in England - initially spearheaded by Monty Python's John Cleese – to raise funds for, and awareness of, the human rights work of the Noble Peace Prize-winning organization Amnesty International. The shows developed a formidable reputation for presenting the cream of Britain's comedic performers and rock musicians.

Widely distributed via films, TV specials, videos and albums the Ball has helped Amnesty spread its message worldwide. The iconic Secret Policeman's Ball title that became the collective name for the series, was used for the first time in 1979. Cleese credits series co-creator Martin Lewis (co-producer of the shows, movies and albums between 1976-1984) with coining the title.

The 137-minute show features the cream of contemporary US and UK comedy stars - performing brand-new, specially-created material tailored to the theme of freedom of expression - shot in high-definition at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Until this latest show, every edition of the "Ball" since its 1976 birth had taken place in London. This show at Radio City was the first show to be held outside Britain and it became a summit meeting-cum-gala of the comedy giants of the two nations.

Among the fifty comedic talents seen in the show are major stars such as Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, Eddie Izzard, Russell Brand, Sarah Silverman John Oliver and no less than ten comics who have made their names as performers and writers on "Saturday Night Live" including Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, Bobby Moynihan, Kristen Wiig and Seth Meyers.

In the grand tradition of the long-running Amnesty benefit series, there are also musical performances by Coldplay and Mumford & Sons - and an impressive array of cameo appearances including members of Monty Python and several major movie stars.

The featured performers are:

• Jon Stewart and John Oliver both of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show". (Oliver starts his own new HBO weekly talk show this April)

• The disc includes on-camera live-snarking of the show by two sets of notable curmudgeons Statler & Waldorf from the Muppets and Beavis & Butthead

• Live music by Coldplay and Mumford & Sons

• Drawing on the show's Pythonic roots, members of Monty Python (Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Terry Jones) make appearances to explain why they cannot appear!

• A bonus sequence not seen at Radio City is a brand-new Pythonic skit specially created for the Blu-ray/DVD edition - "The Python Legacy!" (written by Michael Palin & Martin Lewis) - that stars Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Kyra Sedgwick and Annette O'Toole.

Bonus material on the disc includes backstage interviews with many of the stars.